The collection of the Military History Park in Pivka has recently grown bigger with an important historical artefact – Janez Janša’s uniform from the time of Slovenia’s fight for independence. It is the 1991 uniform of the Territorial Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, which the then-Minister of Defence wore during the crucial period of the war for Slovenia.
The uniform was sold at an auction organised by Janez Janša a few months ago. Among the various items on offer at the time, it was the uniform that attracted a great deal of interest, as it is a symbol of one of the key periods in Slovenian history. The buyer of the uniform, Mitja Škerjanc, Director of the Škerjanc, d.o.o. company, from Povžane near Materija, has now donated the valuable piece of history to the Park of Military History.
The ceremonial handover of the uniform took place on Monday, the 3rd of March 2025, at the museum. The event was attended by the original owner of the uniform and the Mayor of the Municipality of Pivka, Robert Smrdelj. The Director of the Military History Park took the opportunity to thank Mitja Škerjanc for the valuable donation and stressed that it is an important acquisition that sheds light on the role of the Territorial Defence and the first defence structures during Slovenia’s independence.
The uniform will be included in the museum’s permanent exhibition in the future. As the Director of the Military History Park explained, the uniform will be given a special place in the museum’s exhibition “The Path to Independence”, which is scheduled to be renovated in 2026 to mark the 35th anniversary of Slovenia’s independence. This will give visitors an even better insight into the key events of the independence period and the roles of the individuals who contributed to the emergence of an independent Slovenia.
With this gesture, the Military History Park continues to establish itself as the central museum of Slovenian military history and a place where the memory of key moments of Slovenian statehood is preserved.
Sara Kovač
